IRS cannot develop a comprehensive estimate of the business nonfiling rate and associated tax gap because it lacks data about the population of all businesses. However, IRS could develop a partial estimate using its business nonfiler inventory. IRS identifies several million potential business nonfilers each year, more than it can thoroughly investigate. IRS could take a random sample of its inve

IRS is developing a plan for evaluating SRFMI data but does not currently have a documented plan even as the agency enters phase III of the pilot program and is less than 1 year away from rolling out the pilot to 45 states. According to IRS officials, the SRFMI pilot includes plans to evaluate program results to make decisions about expanding data sharing with states and using compliance data to

IRS records show that, as of September 30, 2007, over 1.6 million businesses owed over $58 billion in unpaid federal payroll taxes, including interest and penalties. Some of these businesses took advantage of the existing tax enforcement and administration system to avoid fulfilling or paying federal tax obligations--thus abusing the federal tax system. Over a quarter of payroll taxes are owed by

IRS records show that, as of September 30, 2007, over 1.6 million businesses owed over $58 billion in unpaid federal payroll taxes, including interest and penalties. Some of these businesses took advantage of the existing tax enforcement and administration system to avoid fulfilling or paying federal tax obligations--thus abusing the federal tax system. Over a quarter of payroll taxes are owed by

Our analysis of data provided by CMS and IRS indicates that over 27,000 health care providers (i.e., about 6 percent of all such providers) paid under Medicare during calendar year 2006 had payroll and other agreed-to federal tax debts totaling over $2 billion. The $2 billion in unpaid tax debts only includes those debts reported on a tax return or assessed by IRS through its enforcement programs

IRS tax records had inaccurate information that resulted in it erroneously excluding cases from the FPLP and other tax collection actions. The FPLP is a cost-effective automated system used to collect unpaid taxes from certain federal payments. GAO estimates that as of September 30, 2005, over 500,000 tax records' equating to about $2.4 billion in tax debt--contained inaccurate codes that IRS sys

FMS and IRS records showed that about 33,000 civilian agency contractors owed over $3 billion in unpaid federal taxes as of September 30, 2004. GAO investigated 50 civilian agency contractors with abusive and potentially criminal activity. For example, businesses did not forward payroll taxes withheld from their employees to IRS. Willful failure to remit payroll taxes is a felony under U.S. law.

FMS and IRS records showed that about 33,000 civilian agency contractors owed over $3 billion in unpaid federal taxes as of September 30, 2004. All 50 civilian agency contractors we investigated had abusive and potentially criminal activity. For example, businesses with employees did not forward payroll taxes withheld from their employees to IRS. Willful failure to remit payroll taxes is a felony

GAO noted that: (1) as of September 30, 1998, nearly 2 million businesses owed $49 billion in cumulative delinquent unpaid payroll taxes and 185,000 individuals responsible for the nonpayment of delinquent payroll taxes owed $15 billion in trust fund recovery penalties (TFRP); (2) the majority of these unpaid payroll taxes and associated TFRPs are not likely to be collected for various reasons; (

GAO noted that: (1) of the over 31 million computer-generated notices IRS sent to individual taxpayers in 1999, about 1.5 million were low-dollar notices; (2) 82 percent of these (about 1.3 million) reflected adjustments IRS had made to correct discrepancies such as those between information reported to IRS by a third party and information reported on the taxpayer's original return; (3) most noti